Aztex begin big task of building pro soccer team

Kevin Lyttle @klyttleAAS

Thursday

Jul 31, 2014 at 12:01 AMSep 25, 2018 at 6:42 PM

One chapter in the history of Austin soccer has closed. The next will soon begin taking shape.

On Sunday night, the Austin Aztex played their last match as an amateur team. They enjoyed an impressive three-year run in the Premier Development League, winning the championship in 2013 and reaching conference-title games in 2012 and 2014.

Now comes the real fun: the professional ranks.

Austin moves up a few pegs within the nation’s soccer hierarchy in 2015, joining the USL Pro League. The last five cities to land Major League Soccer franchises climbed the ladder through USL Pro. And that is the Aztex’s ultimate ambition: MLS.

First, the Aztex must prove themselves in USL Pro, and the next step will be hiring a head coach.

"We’re very close to firming that up," the club’s majority owner, Rene van de Zande, said Tuesday. "We have somebody in mind that we’re excited about. I think we’ll be introducing him in five to 10 days."

Current head coach Manuel Buentello is expected to remain with the Aztex in some capacity. He could assume a general manager-type role — since he is an authority on Texas soccer.

Building a competitive roster with paid players also will be a challenge for a franchise that has been competing in a league that features unpaid college stars.

Most USL Pro annual player payrolls fall in the $250,000 to $350,000 range, and van de Zande indicated he hopes the Aztex will be on the upper end of that scale. Circuit of the Americas CEO Bobby Epstein and entertainment promoter Paul Thornton have added their financial muscle to the club’s ownership group.

Van de Zande and Roberto Pinto, a team official, have been scouting USL Pro players for months, looking at potential free agents. Most PDL players are not options because they haven’t exhausted their college eligibility or the jump to USL Pro is simply too steep.

"We need physical players," van de Zande said. "It’s a major step up, particularly on the physical side. We have excellent knowledge of players who’ve climbed from the PDL in recent years, and we have a good idea of quite a few players we want."

That group is likely to include at least a few Aztex fan favorites. Forward Sito Seoane and midfielders Chuy Cortes and Adam Black are among the better players on the current team.

"Absolutely, some of them fit the profile," van de Zande said. "We want to be well-represented locally. We’ve approached a variety of players."

Another way to acquire top talent is through an affiliation with an MLS franchise, which can provide four players to a USL Pro team.

"We’ve had several MLS clubs knock on our door," van de Zande said. "We’re probably about four weeks out from making that call. If we decide to have an MLS affiliation — and we’re strongly leaning toward it — this will give us insight into the world of MLS. And our goal is to one day be in the MLS."

Several PDL clubs have made the jump to USL Pro — including Oklahoma City this year — but unlike Austin, most did it under different management groups.

"No doubt, we have to pick up the pace on all fronts," van de Zande said, "but I think we are ready for the next big step.

"We increased our fan base and put a good product on the field. I think the World Cup helped our case. Austin totally embraced the World Cup. The time is right to advance soccer in this city."

Aztex officials point out that average home attendance was up 40 percent this year at a comparable point to last year, when there were two more home matches, including the PDL championship. The Aztex averaged 2,049 fans for 11 matches in 2013 and 2,209 for nine in 2014.

Van de Zande said he hopes to fill 6,000-seat House Park on occasion next year, while averaging at least 3,000 fans per match.

Eventually, though, the team will need a new home stadium. House Park, despite its ideal downtown location, is a high school football venue that is cramped for soccer and doesn’t allow beer sales inside the stadium.

USL Pro commissioner Tim Holt said House Park has been approved for play in 2015, but the league wants the Aztex in a new venue by 2016.

"Right now, we’re concentrating on ways we can improve the fan experience at House Park for next year," van de Zande said. "Beyond that, we’re all — including the city — working on a long-term stadium solution."

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